Senior Member

The main element of this design is the oval shaped rib. As the ribs in a human body protect vital organs, the ribs in this case protect the people using the bridge, enclosing them in a semi-protected structure. The ribs are steel and uniform, making the manufacturing and assembly process simple. The main connections will either be welded or use a screw and bolt connection. The exterior, from the deck and up, is clad with glass to prevent people from throwing debris onto the trains and tracks. However, everything below the deck is open to allow for drainage of water and so that garage will not collect.

The deck is comprised of three sections. The two outside ones are steel grates while the middle is a layer of concrete on steel decking. This is to allow accessibility including bikers, rollerbladers, and people in wheelchairs. The steel grates however, are designed to give pedestrians the feeling that they are floating above the tracks. The steel cables are there to reinforce that notion as it looks like they are the ones holding up the deck. There is also a cable fence running along to prevent people from damaging the glass.

There are also many opportunities to create interesting and effective lighting which can point up and down from the ends of the steel ribs.

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Last edited: Jun 5, 2009

I'm off to my aA meeting but they haven't helped much so far (recovery seems out of reach when you are boxed in).